In the past, ironing board covers have been made from many different materials to provide a support surface for a hot iron that is resistant to scorching and burning from the iron. Some designs incorporate scorch resistant materials into the fabric of the entire cover, while other designs attach separate panels and pads to the cover.
While these previous designs offer limited protection from the heat from an iron, none of these previous designs offer protection from the steam that often emits from an iron. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,884 discloses an iron having a sole plate with outlet holes for emitting steam. There are many different designs for similar steam irons. In previous designs, the ironing board cover absorbs the steam thereby causing the cover to become damp and resulting in stains on the cover. The cover must then be cleaned to remove the stains, which is an additional task often loathed by the owner.
Therefore, there is a long felt need for a ironing board cover that supports a hot iron and is resistant to both heat and steam, and for methods of use.